Following an accident, a vehicle may come to rest on its side, its roof, or against another object such as a tree. It may become necessary to not only stabilize the vehicle in its resting position to prevent further damage to the occupants in the vehicle or to the vehicle itself but also to create a work area that is safe for First Responders operating inside or around the vehicle or object while providing emergency rescue or providing support in an emergency setting. In the past it was easier to stabilize vehicles because the vehicles' surfaces were mostly flat and made of steel, only requiring a few wedges to stabilize the vehicle. Newer vehicles however have more rounded bodies and are made of thin layers of steel or have plastic panels, which can cause the vehicle to act unpredictably when the vehicle rolls over or is knocked off its wheels.
With instability in newer cars it becomes necessary to provide a stabilization system that is adjustable to accommodate for various positions, heights, angles and types of cars. It is also important for First Responders to utilize a Bi-pod rescue strut system that is portable so that it may be transported easily to any emergency scene and occupy less space while being transported in their vehicle. This would give First Responders ample space for other tools important to an emergency setting. The Bi-pod rescue strut system should also have multiple configurations and applications so that multiple tools are not needed, further maximizing space for the First Responder's vehicle. Having multiple applications also leads to decreasing the need for extensive training to learn how to operate multiple devices. The Bi-pod rescue strut system should also be able to be quickly assembled because any extra time used in constructing a stabilization system could be used to help the victims. Currently most popular methods of stabilizing a vehicle are to use wooden beams and rescue struts.
First Responders use wooden beams such as four by four beams where the First Responders wedge the wooden beams between the ground or other stable surface and a part of the vehicle that needs to be supported. This method can prove quite burdensome because the wooden beams usually are discarded after one use, thus requiring a new set of beams. The wooden beams also cannot be dissembled or collapsed, decreasing the portability aspect of the system. The wooden beams also occupy an excessive amount of space in a First Responder's vehicle, taking up space for other important tools that are crucial to an emergency setting.
Struts are also typically used by First Responders. Struts are columns that are tipped over with their top surface anchored against the vehicle. A strap or other device connected to the strut is used to pull the base of the strut towards the car, helping to apply a uniform force to the vehicle in a vertical and horizontal direction. Struts may also function as tripods for confined space applications whereby a tripod head receives the top surfaces of three struts and is then used over a confined space hole. A winch connected to the tripod is then used to raise or lower a person or equipment.
Some problems commonly found in struts such as these are that the systems are heavy, expensive, cumbersome and difficult to transport as well as to initially erect. Also a single strut provides only one column or support leg to support the vehicle, extending from the base of the strut to the upper extension tube member. The narrower the base sitting on the ground the easier it is to tip the strut over. Further it is harder for struts to be used as an anchorage connector for confined space and rescue applications in a tripod configuration due to obstructions or minimal space on either of the confined space entry point.